– low levels of cervical cancer in Kato and Paramakatoi

INDIGENOUS villages in Region 8 (Potaro-Siparuni) are now better able to address labour issues and trafficking in persons, their leaders having completed a workshop on such issues.

The two-day interactive sensitisation and training sessions were held last week in the village of Kato by the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs in conjunction with the Ministry of Social Protection. Those who benefited from the workshop were village leaders, called toshaos, and councillors from their villages.

Besides addressing labour issues and trafficking in persons, sessions were also conducted on domestic violence and on drug, alcohol and sexual abuse.
A representative from the Ministry of Health and from the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA) also conducted cervical cancer testing on females in Kato and Paramakatoi, and the results were “better than expected”.

The eight-member team, spearheaded by Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Valerie Garrido Lowe, travelled to Kato from Sunday. While four returned to Georgetown on Wednesday, the others left for Mahdia, to conduct another workshop.

The minister, who also held several meetings in Kato and sister village Paramakatoi, told the 59 participants after the sessions were completed in Kato that they now have knowledge to protect themselves and their fellow villagers. She admonished them to become instructors and relay what they have learnt to each member of their village, so as to keep their villages from being exploited.

“The issues that you were exposed to over the last two days are not new to the villages, but now you have new knowledge on how to deal with whatever issues arise. You are leaders and decision-makers in your villages, so it is extremely important that you lead by example,” she charged them.

The minister was adamant that certain issues will not be tolerated under her watch or that of head minister and vice-president, Sydney Allicock.

Head of the Welfare Division (acting) in the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs Pauline Welch, organised the event along with her workmate, Dexter Glasgow. Welch led the seminars on day one, while Labour, Occupational Safety and Health officer Neville Nichols and Kwanda Edmondson spoke about labour issues and trafficking in persons respectively.

Nichols had a very interactive session, and most people were curious about their rights at the workplace. He said: “Most were interested in reclaiming outstanding wages, and [in] investigating workplace accidents”.

In Mahdia, a total of 21 persons from seven villages attended a workshop dealing with the same issues on Wednesday and Thursday.

LOW RATE OF INFECTION
Medex Lorlene Ramsundar, who is attached to the GPHC, and Dr Shanique Greaves from the GRPA were both happy with the results of the cervical cancer tests. In total, for the two villages, the positive rate was six percent, with a 100% treatment rate.
Ramsundar opined that the results were better than expected.

A Ministry of Health report had, in 2014, indicated that Guyana has the third highest rate of cervical cancer in the Western Hemisphere.